Movie review
November 12, 2025 · 113 min · PG-13
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
The movie brings back the Four Horsemen magicians who team up with three young illusionists to steal a huge diamond and expose a rich South African diamond heiress named Veronika who runs a criminal empire of money laundering and trafficking. The group uses big magic tricks and teamwork for their heist across different countries. The young magicians have been robbing corrupt rich people like crypto bosses and giving the money straight to regular people in the audience as part of their plan to make the world better, and there are lines about climate change and women not having enough spots in magic.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Now You See Me: Now You Don't.
Woke representation / casting
New young magicians include diverse actors with Justice Smith in a main role among the idealistic trio. A character highlights the lack of women in magic and teases a "Horsewomen" idea. The addition appears aimed at refreshing the franchise with younger and more varied faces alongside the returning originals.
Woke political dialogue
Young characters describe their past acts as trying to change the world for the better and carry out public wealth redistribution from a corrupt rich target to the audience. Dialogue includes references to climate change, AI, and wars as reasons for needing magic, with at least one scene using climate activism as a cover story.
Identity-driven story themes
The plot centers on magicians acting as modern Robin Hood figures who target a powerful criminal heiress and her money-laundering empire to expose and rob her, continuing the series' pattern of vigilante heists against the corrupt wealthy with explicit giving back to regular people. The new generation is positioned as more idealistic social do-gooders.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Opposes a criminal diamond operation tied to trafficking and laundering for bad actors, with some mentions of arms deals or historical exploitation in the villain's background. No activist-style critiques of Western systems, patriarchy, whiteness, or traditional institutions; bad guys are treated as individual criminals.
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant. Introduces entirely new young characters without altering established Horsemen or prior canon for identity or ideological reasons.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
A handful of online comments and reviews called out Gen Z activist framing, wealth redistribution, or preachy social references as woke or annoying. No major organized backlash, news coverage of controversy, or broad audience rejection on political grounds.
Creator track record context
Producer Alex Kurtzman has a clear record of emphasizing diversity and inclusion through his Star Trek projects. Writer Boaz Yakin has made films like Remember the Titans on racial integration and Aviva centered on gender fluidity. The rest of the key writers and director maintain primarily entertainment-driven careers without strong activist histories.
Production
